Star Wars: The Rewritten Trilogy
by burningvindaloo
Summary: This is my take on Episodes 7,8 & 9. The Knights of Ren lead the First Order against the galaxy. A republic commando and defecting storm trooper try to find the force-sensitive target of the Knights while Queen Leia Organa prepares the galaxy for war. And in the centre of it all the heir to the Skywalker dynasty tries to forge his own destiny.
1. The Force Awakens Chapter 1

**A long time ago in a galaxy far far away...**

**STAR WARS**

**EPISODE VII**

**THE FORCE AWAKENS**

**The NEW JEDI ORDER has fallen. The Temple has been destroyed and the Jedi have vanished along with their leader; Jedi Master LUKE SKYWALKER. The NEW REPUBLIC reels from this news as sinister forces begin to make their move.**

**The heirs of the GALACTIC EMPIRE have returned to the galaxy and have renamed themselves THE FIRST ORDER. Led by the Dark Side wielding KNIGHTS OF REN, THE FIRST ORDER'S Star Destroyers move from world to world as they search for the key to their victory.**

**QUEEN LEIA ORGANA sensing where the FIRST ORDER intends to strike next has sent a trusted operative to find out what the FIRST ORDER are planning and to find out if there is a way to stop them...**

An imperial ship flies through the void of space. It's a Star Destroyer; specifically, the Star Destroyer named Dominion. The Dominion is not a typical Star Destroyer; it has been modified over the course of its years in service. Crude extra gun emplacements sit on the hull while the engines have been held together with whatever the First Order can scavenge.

The Dominion slows its acceleration as it reaches its destination; the junk world of Jakku. For centuries Jakku was an unremarkable world in the galaxies outer rim, it was simply a haven for the rubbish of more important worlds. Twenty-five years ago a great battle took place on Jakku that is said to have ended the war between the Empire and the Rebellion and led to the formal founding of the New Republic. And now, a quarter of a century on, a new conflict will begin here.

As the Star Destroyer slows and achieves stable orbit, a troop carrier shuttle departs from the ship's hanger. Within the shuttle, the droid BB-8 watches as the Stormtroopers within prepare for battle. These stormtroopers are not the same as their imperial counterparts that BB-8 knows from its memory banks. They have the opposite colour scheme of their old Imperial Counterparts, with black armour over a white underlayer. BB-8 notes that the armour is much lower in quality then it had first suspected and that the protection given to the troopers was variable. As BB-8 scans the room it can see one trooper with missing arm guards while another only has a basic breast plate for protection. The armour is also less covering and generally looks less sleek with differences between troopers. One trooper may have both arm guards while another has none. But they all have the faceless helmets and are all armed with deadly F-11D blaster rifles.

The Stormtroopers stand to attention as a figure steps through them. She stands almost six foot in height and is clad head to toe in shinning black armour. A red cape flows from her shoulders and a lightsabre sits at her hip. Like the Stormtroopers her head is covered by a Stormtrooper helmet only it is painted a shining silver. Phasma Ren does this to honour her past before her ascension, for she was a Stormtrooper until the First Order discovered her dark side powers. Now she is Phasma Ren, one of the Knights of Ren.

"I sense your fear." Phasma preaches as she inspects her troops. "Embrace that fear and the anger and hate that comes with it. Embrace the dark side. The dark side is strength. The dark side is victory!"

"Praise to the dark side!" Yell all the Stormtroopers in union as the tell-tale shakes within the shuttle indicate that they have entered the atmosphere.

Cold. He senses cold. Tekka steps out of his junk-constructed house and observes the night sky. And there it is, the difference he knew he would find. A shining light that is getting closer. After all these years the servants of the dark side have found him. Tomasi, one of the elders of the small village in which Tekka has made his home rushes towards him.

"Is it them Tekka? Have they come?"

"I am afraid so. I suggest that you run or hide if you cannot run. This is my fight; they are after me."

Tomasi snorts at Tekka's comment. "We are not all ignorant junk crawlers Tekka. We have heard the stories of the First Order and what they do. We will not let them take our future. We will fight."

Rumblings of agreement echo throughout the other villagers who had also been disturbed by the oncoming arrivals. It would not be enough Tekka knew, but what could he do? Could he deny them the right to fight? He knew he could not. They would stand together and what would occur would be as the Force wills it.

"Prepare to attack!" Phasma Ren yells.

The Stormtroopers ready their guns as the shuttle lands. With a loud beep the shuttle door swings open and with a roar the Stormtroopers charge out into battle. They are met by a hail of blaster fire. BB-8 beeps in surprise at this, they were not expecting the villagers to fight back. They were not supposed to fight back.

"Surprised at the resistance?" Phasma Ren asks the droid. "That is why we bring the Stormtroopers, to soak up the fire."

BB-8 leaps of his attachment point on the shuttle wall and lands on his three extendable legs. His body is a sphere around 10 inches across that is crammed with as many tools as his creator could fit inside, his semi-spherical head contains a brain that is composed of the finest alloys and circuitry in the galaxy. When designing BB-8 his creator sought to make something even better than an astromech droid, and in BB-8's opinion he can succeeded. And here comes his creator now, stepping out from the pilot's chair. Kylo Ren marches through the shuttle towards the fight. His recently forged black beskar armour glinting as he does. Like Phasma his face is covered with a black helmet that Kylo had designed to emulate his two dark side Idols; Vader and Revan. On his left arm sits a portable shield generator that BB-8 had helped him build. It allowed Kylo to deploy a light shield that gave him the edge in lightsabre combat. BB-8 was shocked that no Jedi had thought of this before him, it seemed so obvious. As Kylo reaches the hanger door Phasma Ren places her arm across his chest, stopping Kylo in his tracks.

"Wait. We are not here for battle. We are here for our quarry. Leave fighting to the soldiers."

The Stormtrooper named FN-2187 dives to the ground behind an old pod-racer. Blaster bolts strike just above his helmet, why are there blaster bolts? They weren't supposed to fight back, this was supposed to be easy. But they had fought and his brothers and sisters had died, as they left the shuttle FN-2192 had been killed right away, Phasma Ren said the dark side would protect them. Where was the dark side? Where? A slap across the head takes him out of his panic, it was FN-2186 or Six as 2187 called him.

"Seven! Stay down! We'll hold up here until-."

Six was thrown from his feet at the same time as a small explosion radiates out from under Six's raised arm. It takes 2187 a moment to realise that his brother has been shot. And not his brother in the sense of comradeship amongst the ranks, FN-2187 and FN-2186 were brothers in the familial sense. This was a bond that they were not supposed to hold onto, the only loyalty should be to the Dark Side and its Knights. But they had held onto it, throughout all their trials. And now it seemed to be ripped away. Ignoring the blaster bolts flying around him 2187 rushes to Six's side. Six is screaming in pain and 2187 can only watch. First Order stormtroopers are not taught to heal wounds, only inflict them. 2187 rips off his helmet and that of Six, exposing their young dark skinned faces.

"Look at me brother. Stay with me." 2187 says. What else can he do? Wait. Yes, that's it. Wait for the fight to be over then bring Six to the Knights. Six has always served the Knight's well. They'll heal him. They have to heal him.

Tekka slipped under an old star ship hull section. He was almost at the speeder now and he needed to move quickly. Tomasi and the other villagers had fought bravely but bravery can only take you so far against trained soldiers. He had minutes at most. It felt dirty leaving the villagers to fend for themselves after everything they had sacrificed for him but he had no choice. If the First Order caught him, if they found out where she was...No. No, he could not think about that, he would get away and he would keep denying the First Order. All he had to do was reach the speeder. And yet he could not. His legs were not working. He was frozen and all he could feel is the cold. The cold he had learned to recognise as the Dark Side. He could see out the corner of his eye two figures striding towards him; one clad in silver armor while the other was in black. He did not recognise them, he supposed they must be the new Knight's recruited since he left. Since he last used his gifts, after leaving using the force, no the dark side seemed dirty, unclean. But now he had no choice, he had the fear of the future if he lost here and that opened the door to the dark side. The force flowed though him and.

Phasma Ren laughed.

"Do you feel it? He tries to use our power against us. But he has turned away from the dark side and so the dark side has turned from him. Remember this young Ren, the dark side demands constant veneration."

"I understand." Kylo replied.

BB-8 did not understand. Even after years of observing Kylo's training the droid was still perplexed by the force. From his position on Kylo's right shoulder all BB-8 can see is an old man frozen mid-stride as if he was playing a game. As they reach the old man Phasma Ren gestured and the man fell to the floor, at the same time Kylo ignited his lightsabre and places the point of the blade right before the old man's face. The blade sparked as it ignited and two cross guards flicked on along with the main blade. The lightsabre was unstable despite BB-8's attempts to repair it. Something was wrong with the crystal within the lightsabre. Something that the droid did not understand.

"Tekka Ren. We have found you at last." Phasma Ren said with a clear satisfaction.

"I am no longer of the Ren." The old man responded. "I have seen the truth; the force has shown me. We are wrong."

"Blasphemy!" Phasma Ren extended her arm towards Tekka and then as she lifted her arm Tekka too was lifted off the ground. She swung her arm down and Tekka was slammed face first into the dirt.

"If we are wrong and you are right then why are you the one who is broken at my feet? Why does the force not aid you?" She cried.

Tekka spat out a combination of muk and blood from his mouth. "I am not worthy of it. What we did...it should have never happened."

"And yet it did happen. And the next step will happen. The dark side has blessed us, we will have victory. You have only delayed us."

A Stormtrooper approached the two Knights and bowed as he reaches them.

"We have searched the village but we have no trace of the target." The trooper said, keeping his head bowed as he did.

Still seemingly pinned to the ground Tekka smirked. "A more substantial delay then you first imagined?

For a moment Phasma Ren stood very still. BB-8 could tell she trying to stay calm. Her voice came out tense and with barely controlled fury. "You will help us as you once did Tekka. Whether you like it or not. Take him to the ship."

The Stormtrooper signalled to another of his comrades. The two place the old man in electro-cuffs before lifting him to his feet. And as the old man rises his face finds itself right in front of Kylo's. Tekka's face shifted upon seeing Kylo, he now appeared curious.

The old man spoke "You... the dark side does not have a hold on your soul yet. You can still turn away; it is not too late."

Kylo simply says nothing as the old man is dragged away. BB-8 taps his creator on the shoulder, Kylo should speak back but Kylo simply brushes the droids leg away. He is thinking. Phasma Ren steps in close to Kylo.

"Many will be envious of the power we Ren hold. They will try to dissuade you. Do not let them. If you do that is what awaits you." She points at Tekka who has been nearly dragged onto the shuttle.

Kylo did speak now. "I will not turn away."

That seemed to satisfy Phasma Ren as she nodded. "See that you don't."

They returned to the shuttle without incident. It was only on arrival that another strange thing occurred. Two Stormtroopers without helmets were walking back to the shuttle. Or so it seemed as first, it appeared that one was nearly carrying the other. Phasma Ren strode towards them while the other Stormtroopers did their best to ignore the two troopers.

"FN-2187 what are you doing?"

The one BB-8 could only assume was FN-2187 spoke quickly. He was clearly scared. "He was hurt protecting me, but only hurt. He can-"

BB-8 began to speak, or rather beep. Sadly there wasn't room for all his tools and a voice modulator in his torso so he had to communicate with beeps. It didn't matter, Kylo understood him and was always happy to translate. BB-8 had medical knowledge programmed in, he could. Kylo raised his finger in front of the droid; their gesture for quiet. Suddenly the Stormtrooper who had spoken was thrown to the ground by the force while the other he was holding up was stretched upright.

"He is weak." Phasma shouted. "The dark side does not tolerate weakness!"

Phasma ignited her red bladed lightsabre and cuts the wounded trooper down in one smooth stroke.

"NO!" Screamed FN-2187.

"What did you say?! Did you question me?! Did you question the dark side?!" Phasma yelled back.

"No...I..." The trooper appeared to have frozen up. Tears run down his face and he can only stammer out odd noises. Phasma Ren stands over the trooper, then raises her lightsabre.

Kylo spoke out. "We have taken loses here today Phasma. We need every trooper. Perhaps this one can still be of use."

Phasma Ren turned back to regard Kylo. BB-8 could feel Kylo tense up, he was the junior member of the Knights of Ren and was aware of the fact. Him speaking out could be dangerous for them both. BB-8 began to load his combat modules just in case.

But Phasma Ren only turned off her lightsabre.

"Kylo Ren speaks the truth. You will be disciplined FN-2187 but in discipline lies our strength. Return to the ship."

FN-2187 was lifted up by two Stormtroopers and roughly helped onto the ship. As they reached the ship Kylo turned back to regard the village. It was burnt and the bodies of villagers lay across the ground.

"I do not take joy in this either Kylo. That is why we have chosen the plan we have. When Tekka breaks he will give us the final piece. The ritual will then begin and the galaxy will be ours."

Kylo stared at Phasma for a moment before nodding. Kylo moved through the shuttle towards the pilots seat. BB-8 leapt of Kylo's shoulder and moved through the shuttle towards his perch. Kylo preferred to be alone when flying. The shuttle rose and began its journey back to the Dominion. It hadn't been a bad day for the First Order. They had lost twenty seven troopers, a blow to be sure but they had gained Tekka, who they were certain would lead them, however unwilling he was, to the final victory. However they had also gained something else that they would only realise later when tallying up the losses.

They had gained a Republic spy.


	2. The Force Awakens Chapter 2

Coruscant. The world at the centre of the galaxy has seen much change over the past century, having been the capital of the Old Republic, the Galactic Empire and now the Capital World of the New Republic.

When Palpatine conquered the galaxy he tore down the Galactic Senate building and had it converted to an Imperial Palace. When the Empire fell this was reclaimed and repurposed to be the home of the New Galactic Senate. The idea was that by holding court in the home of the monster who once dominated the galaxy; the various senators would always be motivated to ensure that nothing like this can every happen again. Today the Senate is not in session. Although a meeting is being held that in many ways carries more weight. It is a meeting for the RDC – The Republic Defence Committee. Think the UN Security Council but for the galaxy.

Sat at a round table are the following – Queen Leia of New Alderaan representing the Mid-Rim Worlds, High Admiral Ackbar of Mon Calamari representing the Republic Military, Lady Clarise Sindian of Corellia – the Core worlds, Gordo the Hutt: representative of the tentative Outer Rim Alliance – over 100 worlds that the Hutts now control and together they are too powerful for the Republic to do anything about, Senator Benito Veruna of Naboo – the free outer Rim worlds and Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon of the Imperial Enclaves. One seat is empty. This seat would have been filled by the representative of the Jed.

They are watching a holofeed of Republic Troops moving through the destroyed new Jedi Temple set up on Ahch-To; an ancient core world that was where the Jedi first began and were to begin again. But that is now not to be. The temple has been torn down, the Jedi texts have been burned or profaned. And worst of all. There is no sign of a single Jedi. Not even a corpse. It is as if they all vanished.

Queen Leia Organa switches of the feed.

"Now do you see?" She began. "We've had Star Destroyers pressing our borders and hitting independent worlds, trade routes hit and plundered by TIE fighters and we know that certain Senators and world leaders have been replaced for those more suitable to certain views. And now the Jedi. How many more signs do you need? The First Order may be a remnant but they are a threat! This is just like it was 50 years ago when the Empire rose. We hold our meetings in this room so we can say to ourselves never again and yet it is happening again!"

Leia looked around the room. Ackbar was as focused as always and surprisingly Pellaeon seemed to be on her side. But the others were not, Veruna was his usual neutral self while Gordo's mind was clearly elsewhere. And Sindian...Sindian was thinking about what was best for Sindian. Sindian appears to be as kind as she is beautiful on the surface but you only have to spend time in a room with her to know that Sindian only cares about Sindian. Leia had already begun a calming exercise that Luke had taught her when Sindian stood to speak.

"I think we all understand your... position Leia but I fail to see what you claim. I see problems certainly but I do not see the rise of the second Galactic Empire. I see a few old soldiers who have not learned that the war is over. I am sure Pellaeon can put them in order."

"Pellaeon?" Ackbar barked. "Hmph! He is likely funding the First Order!"

Pellaeon leaps to his feet. After years Leia had still not made her mind up about Pellaeon. A military man through and through he has served in the fleet all his life. Having gone from a stormtrooper to Grand Admiral. While he fought in several battles in the galactic civil war, Palpatine kept him away from much of the fighting and assigned him to police back water states. When the Empire fell Pellaeon found he had little loyalty to the Empire and instead loyalty to his men and the worlds under his charge. He negotiated with the New Republic and carved out his own little kingdom. The worlds he rules seem to thank him for it, while the rest of the galaxy hate the Imperial Enclaves, believing that they are waiting for a chance to strike again. All Leia knew for certain was that Pellaeon finds that and anything in relation to Imperial Forces that are still fighting a touchy subject.

"You dare insult me?" The old admiral shouted. "Which of us has given the most support to the Jedi? Which of us has supported Skywalker at every opportunity in spite of history? I command the legitimate Imperial Forces that have decided to join me. The First Order are fanatics that have ignored every order I have sent them to disband! The only thing that would make me consider funding them is your continued insults."

Veruna of Naboo stands. An old man who has a peaceful aura of calm around him that only a Jedi can match. Leia always thought that in a way Veruna was what Palpatine pretended to be during his rise to power. A kind and gentle old man who had somehow found himself in high political office.

"I am sure that the High Admiral did not mean it Grand Admiral. These incidents have a way of inflaming old tensions."

Ackbar grumbles something that Pellaeon knows is the closest he'll get to an apology. The two not only have history but a deep personal dislike. Leia has had to separate them on several occasions.

Gordo the Hutt spoke up. A distant cousin of Jabba, Leia could not help but feel her skin crawl whenever she looked at him. "I do not see why we are concerned. The galaxy does not need the Jedi. The Outer Rim Alliance does not allow the Order to work within our borders and we have managed our affairs with no issues."

"Gordo is correct." Spoke Sindian in her silky tones. "The Jedi, while they have a historic significance are not essential to galactic stability. They are too few in number and outside of Skywalker too untrained to do that. And that is what this councils focus should be. And how do we know that the Jedi are gone as Leia claims? The Temple is burnt yes, but where are the Jedi? Are they dead? Do we see bodies? No we do not. This is likely to just be another false alarm just like when Skywalker angered those Nightmothers from Dathomir. We thought the Jedi were gone then too."

How could she be so...Leia forced herself to be calm. This was different and Sindian knew it, but because Sindian could see no benefit for Sindian she was obstructing. At least the others were cowards, Sindian was simply corrupt.

Leia kept her tone steady as she spoke. "This is different. The First Order have been planning this for decades, they have been preparing, training and now they've struck. This is the first part in a plan that ends with all of us dead or kneeling at their feet!"

"Is it?" Asked Pellaeon. "Despite what some of us may believe I have no love for the First Order but we have all seen the Intelligence. The First Order do not have the resources to destroy the Jedi. They simply don't. Is this instance with the Jedi a problem? Yes. Is it the First Order. No, it cannot be. Unless there is something you know that I don't? If so please show me, show me the First Order is this great threat you say it is and I will support you."

And there it was, there was the weakness of this room. They were afraid, afraid of a fight. It had to be proven five times over before even going to the vote. She wondered, and not for the first time if her father, Senator Bail Organa had ever felt this way. The others were all looking to her to say something. She takes a deep breath.

"I have nothing more to show. Only my intuition. Will that do?"

"You know it cannot." Pellaeon replied.

Ackbar stood. "It will for me."

Pellaeon rolled his eyes. "Of course you are being contrary to me Ackbar, perhaps we should-"

Leia could not believe it. They were bickering, after what they saw they were trying to score points. She could be calm but before she realised her hand has slammed on the table and shocked Ackbar and Pellaeon into silence.

Leia shouted at them all. "My son and brother are missing and you want to waste time arguing? What about? Tell me what is more important then?!"

"Other's sons and daughters." Gordo grumbled.

Veruna spoke quickly before Leia could respond. "Gordo is correct. We are sympathetic to you Leia but we cannot risk the lives of millions until we know for certain that the First Order are the threat you claim. We do not even know where the Jedi are, there were no bodies after all, so it may be that they are sorting out the attackers now. I know you've got wheels in motion to find out more. We must have faith in them and wait for them to report to us. But I recommend a vote; all in favour of action against the First Order based on the current knowledge?"

Leia and Ackbar raise their hands. But no one else joins them. It's four against two as she knew it would be.

"Then I suppose we are done here." Leia said wearily.

Leia heads for the door quickly but she is cornered by Sindian.

"Before you go Leia there is one thing I must know. You said your son and brother are missing. I was not aware you had a brother?"

"Figure of speech Clarise. Luke may not be blood but he may as well be after everything we've gone though. Please excuse us."

As Leia leaves swiftly followed by Ackbar a strange thought comes to Clarise Sindian. She remembers a holiday she had taken on Naboo and how during that holiday she had been to a festival of their past queens. How one in particular had caught her eye; Padme Amidala. Not because she had been the lover of Darth Vader and mother of Luke Skywalker but because she looked very similar to Leia, in fact the two could have been sisters. Sindian had had a strange theory that in addition to being Vader's lover, Amidala had been with Bail Organa as well resulting in Leia. But that theory had came up with no evidence to support it so she had abandoned it. And yet Leia had been adopted by Organa and she and Luke Skywalker did have more than a passing resemblance. Could it be true? If it was Leia would lose much of her support, it would be a scandal that could help Sindian's rise indeed. Yes, Sindian needed to do some more digging for sure.

Leia marched through the halls of the Senate Building, those fools she thought. They believed they were doing what was right but all they were doing was ensuring that liberty died with inaction rather than warfare. No, perhaps fools was too harsh, they wanted to hold on to the peace that so many had died to gain, and so did Leia, she had fought in the worst battles of the war after all. She had seen the Death Stars. But how to show them what she saw? Luke saw the extra senses that the Force granted as a blessing but she saw it as a curse, every leap that the Force allowed her to make required intense explanation to others so that it was not seemed as blind guessing. And she had to be careful to cover the tracks, if it was revealed who her father really was her support would vanish overnight. So be it she thought grimly. She would either find proof and get the support she hoped for or she would do it alone. Well not alone, she would have help after all. An aide bowed as she approached Leia, Leia smiled at her.

"Forgive me my lady but I thought you should know. There was a disturbance at the Alderaan dock, The Falcon has departed."

Fresh fury struck Leia. "I told him to wait for me!" She raged. "How could he...?"

She stopped as her fury faded to laugher. Of course, Han would do this taking off in the Falcon with no plan. But how many times had that worked? She looked to the sky and smiled while fiddling with her wedding ring.

"Do what you do best Han. Fly in the stars. Find our family and bring them home. I'll do what I can here."

Jakku. On a different continent to where Phasma and Kylo Ren took Tekka. This continent has had many names but it is quickly becoming known as the Battleground. This is because a great battle between the Imperial Remnants and New Republic took place here and the debris fell onto this continent. As such many scavengers have travelled here to delve into the downed ships and vehicles in search of scrap to sell.

Inside a crashed Imperial Star Destroyer a young girl in her early 20's walks through the engines. She wears sturdy scavenger gear from head to toe and has a head torch on her head. Her name is Rey. On the right side of her neck going from her lower neck to just below her jawline a section of skin has a distinct red tint. It's a birthmark that she has had from the beginning. At first glance the mark seems to look like a flame.

The engines were the first place scavengers went after the battle. As such everything has been stripped away. It just appears to be an empty dome around 30m wide with a walkway only reaching one side. Or so it seems. Rey can't explain it but she knows something is here. Something that can help her. It's an intuition she's had for as long as she can remember. She stops and closes her eyes for a moment. And when they open she sets off at a run. She runs along the walkway and then up a wall before leaping off the wall.

And her leap takes her far further than any jump should across the entire dome and onto the far wall where others could not reach. She grabs hold of a handhold and secures her position before she starts to climb. She stops when she reaches a fuse cabinet. She grabs the cabinet's handle and pulls. The entire door is pulled away and she lets it fall. She looks inside and grins at what she sees.

All of the fuses within are intact and in excellent condition. Imperial fuses were designed to be removed in both one big go or individually so that the ships could be repaired quickly. Rey plans to take them all. This is a big score that she is lucky to have. She reaches out to grab them but they are just out of reach. She tries again but she cannot even brush a wire with her finger tips. But then something happens. The fuse box seems to be dislodged and just slide into her grip. She grins and pulls the fuse box out. She attaches it to her back via a magnetic strip.

Later at her home town of Hagomay. Rey places the fuses onto the counter of Unkar Plutt; the local scrap dealer. Plutt is a chubby alien with greasy green skin. Plutt examines the fuse box and while he tries to play it cool it is clear he is pleased with what she's found.

"Where did you get this?" He asked.

"Found it. In the local destroyer."

Plutt's tone clearly showed his disbelief. "That was picked clean, you telling me that you found something that hundreds of other scavengers missed?"

"I'm just lucky I suppose."

"Hmmm...well for this I will give you 50 credits."

Rey sighed. This was classic Plutt, underpaying her at every opportunity. "50 credits? This is an intact engine fuse set, it's easily worth twice that at least!"

Sometimes when haggling with Plutt strange things would happen. Rey would wish for him to accept a higher price for her goods and Plutt would change his mind. She did not know who but she knew it would occur at times, she desperately hoped this would be another one of those times.

Plutt smiled, it's a slimy smile. "Do you know anyone else to sell the fuses to? No? Because I am the only dealer in this town so you have to accept what I will pay? Take the credits I'm offering and be grateful that I'm not looking into your "luck".

So it would not happen today. Rey grabbed the fuse box and for a moment she considered walking away. Or throwing the box in Plutt's face. But that would not help her so she sighs and takes the few credits that Plutt is offering. As she reaches out for the credits Plutt grabs her arm.

"I know you're saving every credit you can. I know you want off this rock. I can help you. Luck or no luck you've got a knack for finding good pieces. It's a waste for someone gifted like you. Come work for some people I know and they'll have you in another system in a cycle."

Rey pulled her arm free of his grip. "I know what your "help" means. I won't do it. I'll get out of here but I'll do it the right way. You just keep buying my pieces."

She turned and strode away from Plutt before he could say another word. She moved through Hagomay towards her home. Well shack would be more accurate. Still it had what she needed until she left behind this junk world forever.

She opened her safe and placed today's credits within. She counted her total again even though she knew what the end result would be. Not enough. Not enough for a ship. She sighs and shuts the safe. She looked out at the night sky. A new ship was in orbit over Jakku, she stared at the distant light. It felt...important. It was like her scavenging instincts but different, colder somehow. She shivered despite the warm evening. She grabbed and blanket and wrapped it around her.

"I'll make it out there. One day I will."


	3. The Force Awakens Chapter 3

On board the Star Destroyer Dominion, the doors to the prison level slid open. Hux Ren strode out of the doors and towards his objective. Hux Ren was unique among the Knights of Ren in that he wore no armour simply sticking to golden robes. He also disdained lightsabres, preferring to use an enhanced vibroblade. He rested his hand on the blades hilt as he walked towards his target.

Annoyance flooded him as he reached the cell. For standing outside it was the upstart. Kylo. Hux would not honour him as Kylo Ren, for Kylo had not earned it. But there he stood, in black armour and with a lightsabre at his hip that he did not deserve. And with that stupid droid on his shoulder. If they had to take the boy then they should have destroyed that droid at least.

"Kylo. Is the prisoner within?"

"He is."

"Excellent, now the real work can begin."

"Begin? It began when Phasma Ren and I took the village. It began when you were absent, when you declined to come and fight."

The boy wanted to fight it seemed. "You must learn Kylo that no Knight of Ren is the same. We all have our different blessings from the dark side. My gifts are more suited to delicate work while your gifts...your small gifts seem to be suited to...droid maintenance?"

The droid beeped. Hux did not understand astromech speak, why would a Knight of Ren debase himself by speaking with lowly droids? But he could tell from the tone and volume the droid was angry. Or as angry as a droid could be considering they did not have real emotions.

"BB-8, don't-" The boy began.

"Don't speak for you? It seems you have much to learn Kylo."

"Kylo Ren."

The way the boy said that showed he believed it. Hux Ren could have struck him down there and then for that. But he was bound by the wishes of the other Knights. Still Hux Ren did not need his vibroblade to hurt Kylo in this case, he only needed two words. He smiled as he spoke them while he pushed past the boy and into the cell.

"Are you?"

Within the cell Tekka stirred as the doors opened. He was bound within dark chains that seemed to draw the light towards them. He winced inwardly when he saw who it was that had come to him. He had known it would be bad, he expected nothing else once he was caught. But of all the Knight's of Ren Hux was the worst. His devotion to the Dark Side was simply an excuse, Hux lived for one thing and one thing only. To cause pain.

Hux smiled. "Are we comfortable?"

Tekka had seen Hux work enough times to know that this was how Hux liked to begin. He would start with politeness that seemed sincere but was only a way for Hux to disarm his victims before bringing the pain. So Tekka said nothing.

"I shall take that as a yes. You know why I am here. To find what you stole from us. To find where you hid it. And to punish you for defying the will of the dark side. And reward myself for my devotion."

Hux reached out with his hand and placed it on Tekka's forehead. As soon as the contact was made pain shot out across his body. And inside his head. Tekka screamed. And Hux's grin grew wider.

He would not scream. He would not scream. FN-2187 bit down on his lower lip, drawing blood as the lash struck his back again. He was secured within a stockade, raised on a platform so the assembled Stormtrooper Corp could see him. Stood over him delivering the punishment was Phasma Ren.

"You will not scream as I hurt you. You will show discipline." She said again before delivering another strike.

He couldn't help but let out a low moan due to the pain. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Phasma Ren tense up. He forced himself to be silent.

"Good. You see you can show discipline in the face of pain. You will remember this; you will not question the dark side again. Will you?"

There was only one answer here; what she wanted to hear. "I will not Phasma Ren. I will not fail again!"

She lashed him again before turning to address the rest of the Corp.

"This is the result of breaking ranks. Do you see his pain? Do you wish to join him? Of course you do not. Learn from this, the dark side is strength and victory, to turn against the dark side is to welcome pain and failure. Now leave and return to your duties."

Breaking ranks? His brother died and they called it breaking ranks! The stockades opened and he fell to the floor.

"Get up."

He got to his feet, doing his best to ignore the pain in his back.

"You have not eaten yet have you?" Phasma Ren asked him.

"No Phasma Ren."

"You shall forgo food for the rest of the day. And for the next. You shall go to the font and pray to the Dark Side. You shall reflect on the mistakes you have made today."

Phasma Ren did not even wait for him to answer before striding away. She expected instant obedience, all of the Knight's did. FN-2187 put his armour on as slowly as he dared, he wanted to minimise his time spent in the font. The place felt wrong to him, it always had. While he put on his armour he noticed something, a Stormtrooper was marching across the hanger on his own. Stormtroopers do not move on their own. He should ignore it, he should go to the font. To ignore Phasma Ren's order would cost him his life. And yet he found himself walking after the lone Stormtrooper.

The doors to his cell opened. Tekka did not have the strength to look up to see who this visitor was. Had Hux returned? Or was it someone new? Cantos? Ushar? And then a Stormtrooper is in his face. The Stormtrooper takes off his helmet revealing a young man with dark hair and eyes and a thin stubble beard. But it was not the man's appearance that drew Tekka's attention. It was the eyes. This man did not have the beaten down look that other Stormtrooper's held in their eyes. He was a free man.

"Tekka Ren?" The man asked. "My name is Poe Dameron, the Queen sent me. We got your message, I'm sorry I couldn't help earlier but I'm going to get you out of here."

He spoke it with such certainty that Tekka almost believed him.

FN-2187 stopped with a start. A Stormtrooper lay across the ground in front of him, the blaster wound that killed the Stormtrooper was still smoking. FN-2187 clutched his rifle, he should turn back and get others. Perhaps the Knights would forgive him. And yet he keeps going, perhaps his curiosity has overridden his common sense.

As he moved through the dungeon's he stopped as he heard a voice coming from a nearby open cell.

"Do you know a way to the hangers? One that reduces our chances of running into troops or-?"

This person was interrupted by an older, more tired voice.

"Someone is here."

FN-2187 didn't move, he went to aim his rifle but before he could react someone moved out of the cell. His blaster was dropped out of his hands as a blaster bolt hit it. FN-2187 yelped as he dropped the gun and the impact knocks him from his feet. And then FN-2187 finds himself on his back staring at a handsome man. A handsome man who has a blaster in his face.

"Don't move! I'd prefer not to shoot anymore of you but I will if I need to! Help us out of here and you can keep praying to those Knights or whatever it is you do. We're clear."

Something catches FN-2187's eye. Someone walks out of the cell, no not someone, it was the old man they had taken from the village. He seemed older, like he had been aged somehow. His robes had been torn and FN-2187 could see deep gashes in the man's skin. A blaster was smacked into the side of FN-2187's helmet.

"Hey! Don't look at him, look at me. I'm the guy who will kill you if you don't give me a way off this ship! Now get up."

FN-2187 unsteadily got to his feet. His hand moved unwilling to his back, where below his armour lay his own wounds. Wounds just like the old man's.

"Last chance!" Yelled the man with the blaster. "Say something or I'll-"

"Take me with you." FN-2187 said.

The man's faced changed to clear confusion. "What?"

The words came out in a torrent, FN-2187 wasn't sure what he was saying only that he couldn't stop. "I want to go, I need to go. I feel cold here, all the time cold. The dark side is wrong. It's wrong! My brother was most devout but Phasma killed him! They hurt me, they hurt others, they hurt him. I don't want to hurt I want to help! I want to help."

"His words are sincere. The dark side holds no power over him." The old man said after a moment.

The man with the gun stood very still for moment. Then he lowered the blaster.

"Try anything and you're dead. Get in the way of the mission and you're dead. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Then show us a way out of here."

Hux Ren strode into the chamber that sat at the centre of the Dominion. The chill of the dark side flowed into him as he entered. This chamber was saturated with power. In the centre of the room was a black cube 1m wide and 2m high. And sat around it were the eleven other Knight's of Ren. Only Kylo was not present. Although Hux thought to himself, this is only a room for true Knight's. The dark side flowed from the Knight's and into the cube.

"The force is strong here." Hux said.

One of the Knight's turned and rose to meet Hux. Snoke Ren, High Marshall of the Knight's of Ren. Snoke Ren was a Muun, Muun were tall and slender compared to humans but Snoke Ren was to regular Muun as Muun were to humans. He stood almost 3 metres tall and was almost skin and bone. No muscle could be seen on him, Hux knew from personal experience though that this did not mean Snoke Ren lacked strength. It was the opposite in fact.

"The force is weak. The Dark Side is strong." He rumbled in his deep voice. "Do we have success?"

"We do. Tekka tried as best he could but he was no match for me. He did not keep her with him when he left us, he sent her away to the other side of the world. But he could not resist keeping an eye on her from a distance. She is in the town of Hagomay working as a scavenger, I know what she looks like. I will gather a battalion and I will bring them here."

"Excellent work Hux Ren. But Kylo Ren will have this hunt."

"Kylo? A weak barely trained boy?" Hux could not believe this. This was a crucial part of their scheme and Snoke Ren wanted to waste it on Kylo! "This hunt requires a true Knight of Ren! He is not one of us!"

"Not yet. It is true that he is an outsider, taken in part to make up for the loss of Glarus Ren during the raid upon the Jedi Temple. But he does have the dark side within him, I sensed that at the temple and his bloodline certainly points to the great power he could attain in time."

"We do not have time! The ritual is now! We only require the twelve true Knights!"

"The twelve. The twelve of us against a galaxy Hux? We have the ritual yes, but we must be vigilant, we cannot turn away potential Knights. For we are few and how long has it been since one of our Stormtroopers rose as Phasma did? Ten years? Eleven? No Kylo Ren will be one of us."

"He is weak, barely above the level considered for training."

Snoke spoke evenly, patiently, as if he was lecturing a child. "Weakness is perspective. Remember how we were thought to be weak once? When Vader deemed us too weak to be Sith? When we rejected the Sith and became Knight's of Ren, what defined us? Was it our strength? Or was it our struggle?"

Hux could see that this was a battle that he would not win. Snoke Ren could be amendable but once his mind was made up it was set.

"I apologise Snoke Ren."

"Do not apologise brother. Doubt the boy, test the boy when required but give him the opportunity we gave ourselves. But for now allow him this chance. Cantos Ren!"

Another Knight of Ren turned from the cube and walked over to join the two. Cantos Ren was a red skinned Twi'Lek who had two robotic arms. A price she had paid for the Knight's to escape from the Empire and begin their own destiny. She was seductive and had used that to play with many victims. As Hux had said to Kylo, each Knight used their gifts in the dark side differently.

"You will accompany Kylo Ren on this hunt. You will watch how he conducts himself and inform us of what you see. You will see if he is worthy of being a Knight of Ren."

Without leaving her post Phasma Ren spoke up. "I would prefer to accompany Kylo Ren. I believe we worked well when taking Tekka and that I can mould him into a Knight as I mould my troops."

Normally diverting concentration would result in a loss of strength in the dark side power produced by the Knight's within this chamber. And yet Phasma Ren maintained her dark side strength, that one at least was worth uplifting Hux thought.

Snoke seemed to have noticed too for what he said next was. "I am sure you could Phasma but we require your strength here."

Snoke pointed at the cube.

"We have subdued all the Jedi but one. Even when presented with our combined strength this one fights on. He must be broken before the ritual."

Hux stared at the cube. A prison into which for days the majority of the Knights of Ren had poured all of their strength into. And yet he still heard something from within, a tapping. The Jedi within was still fighting.

BB-8 watched as Kylo reached out with the force. He was reaching out towards a pile of small rocks that he had set out in his chamber. After a moment, as if it was repelled by gravity one rock rose into the air and stayed there. Then a second began to rise, but it was a slower rise and once it was suspended in the air it seemed to shake. BB-8 could tell Kylo was struggling now. His heart was beating rapidly and he was panting with excursion. A third rock began to rise, but it barely made it to half the height of the other two rocks before it fell to the floor along with the other two rocks. Kylo slumped his knees.

"I can't do it."

BB-8 moved next to Kylo. He spoke to him with sympathy.

"I am trying! I'm not strong enough. Even with the dark side. Snoke Ren tells me I have a part to play but how can I do this if I cannot lift some small rocks?"

BB-8 had seen this before. Kylo had a way of over focussing, of devoting himself wholly to one thing when he could not do it. For years now he had focused on the force. Was the force out of his reach? BB-8 did not know, he only knew that he should support his creator. He lay one of his legs on Kylo's arm in a comforting gesture. He said something. Kylo affectionately patted the droid on his head before standing.

"You're right. We have to keep trying. Otherwise it will all be for nothing. Give me a moment and-"

He was interrupted as the doors to his chamber opened. A Twi'Lek woman strode into the chamber, one of the Knights though BB-8 could not remember the name. Kylo nodded to the Twi'Lek.

"Cantos Ren."

"Prepare yourself." She spoke. "A hunt is on."


	4. The Force Awakens Chapter 4

Tekka felt his legs go weak. A moment later he is on the ground. He cannot rise. His strength is gone. He felt hands at his side, it was the Stormtrooper trying to help him back to his feet.

"We're almost there." He said.

"My time is done." Tekka replied. "It was selfish of me to believe I could continue."

The soldier from the Republic, Dameron moved to assist the Stormtrooper but Tekka pushed them both away.

"I'm getting you out of here. I promised the Queen I would succeed." Dameron said before trying to help Tekka again.

"No. I am done. I will slow you down and she will suffer for that. I cannot allow that to happen. I cannot allow the Knight's to have her."

Dameron's face showed his confusion "Her?"

"I am not the one the Knight's came to Jakku for."

The Stormtrooper gasped. "The ritual! The chosen one for the ritual!"

"Yes."

Dameron groaned. "Ritual? Come on! We know the Knight's are looking for a weapon not-"

"No, this one speaks true." Tekka said as he pointed at the Stormtrooper. "They...no we for I was part of it then, we knew we could not defeat the galaxy on our own. But we had an understanding of the Force that no one else had, we realised that if we could corrupt the Force, we could corrupt the galaxy. By spreading the dark side across all the Force we would win. And the chosen one is the key to it, after what we did to obtain her I could not continue...I ran. I took her with me and ran across a dozen worlds before settling on Jakku. I hoped they would not find me but alas they did. I cut myself off from the dark side, without it my talent is meagre but that is what it always should have been. But not enough to fend off Hux without draining my life force. I held enough back, I gave the Knight's an image of their target but the wrong image. Now I use the last of my strength to put her image in your mind. It's a small edge but it will help you."

"No don't-!" Dameron shouted but it was too late. He blinked and winced as the knowledge flowed from Tekka and into the two men. Tekka reached out and grabbed the arms of both men.

"I loved her as a daughter, if only I deserved such happiness. Please find her and keep her safe, right my wrongs."

"We will. I swear it, I'll make it right." The Stormtrooper said.

The Stormtrooper spoke the truth Tekka could tell. He smiled at the Stormtrooper whose head tilted. Tekka did not need to look under the helmet to know that the Stormtrooper was confused at this kindness. Another of his wrongs that would need to be righted.

"You are on your way back, further then I made it. Be proud, may the force-"

Tekka stops speaking. He can feel a new sensation emanating from his centre, it was the Force but a different kind of Force. It was not the powerful chill of the Dark side but rather a low constant warmth. Was this the power that the Jedi had all the time? How could anyone turn away from it? He could feel it, there was a greater warmth out there, he just had to reach out and take it. And reach out he did, and with that Tekka, former member of the Knight's of Ren faded from the galaxy and moved onto the realms beyond. There was no pain.

FN-2187 leapt back in shock as the old man vanished leaving only the tattered rags he wore behind. He looked over to the Republic Soldier whose face echoed his own confusion.

"What happened? Where did he go?" FN-2187 asked.

The soldier stood in silence for a moment thinking. Then he spoke. "I think he's gone. We can't stay here; we need to move. Let's find this girl he mentioned, this can't all be for nothing."

The soldier set of at a brisk march and FN-2187 followed. They moved through the corridors of the Dominion without incident. Stormtroopers did glance at them but they did not question. FN-2187 recalled one of Phasma Ren's lessons: Stormtroopers are not to think. Only obey. They reached one of the hangers and the soldier led them towards a docked TIE fighter. The soldier climbed into the pilots seat and gestured for FN-2187 to take the gunners seat.

"Can you fly this thing?" FN-2187 asked.

"I've done infiltration in Imperial Systems before, I can fly any of your ships." He replied tersely.

The fighter rumbled as the engines came to life. But that wasn't the only thing to come to life, speakers in the hanger sparked as the hanger commanded screamed.

"Fighter T659 you do not have permission to launch. Spin down your engines or be destroyed!"

Stormtroopers surrounded the fighter and began to raise weapons.

"I need a minute before this ship can launch, take them out, don't let them blow us up!" The soldier yelled from the pilots chair.

FN-2187 pulls a lever, the guns flicked into position and the targeting computer came to life. FN-2187 moved the gun controls getting a feel for them. It was just like the simulations he thought. He aimed the target reticule at the nearest group of Stormtroopers. His fingers sat over the trigger.

The fighter shook and FN-2187 could hear multiple impacts against the fighters hull. The Stormtroopers had opened fire.

"Fire back!" The soldier yelled.

He couldn't. The fighter shacked, he checked the targeting screen, the aim was good, he went to squeeze the trigger but his fingers didn't move. He didn't see the Stormtroopers, he only saw his brother FN-2186. He shakes his head and looks away for a moment, it's just Stormtroopers. But they aren't just Stormtroopers. He can't squeeze the trigger.

"Damn it!" The solider yelled.

Shaking as it does, the TIE fighter lifts off the ground and towards the exit. As the fighter leaves the hanger a shot from a heavy turret strikes the left wing, the TIE fighter begins to spin out.

"You idiot! You've killed us both!" The soldier shouted.

FN-2187 didn't reply. He could only scream as the ship spiralled towards the planet's surface.

"What was that?" Kylo asked. BB-8 saw what had caught Kylo's attention. A TIE fighter was spinning towards Jakku. BB-8's enhanced optics allowed the droid to see that the fighter had been hit by several laser blasts. Cantos Ren sniffed.

"That is not of our concern. I am here to teach you to hunt, now be seated."

Kylo moved to the centre of the room and sat down. BB-8 moved towards the corner of the room, he extended his wielding torch attachment out from his chest, positioned in the way to match a human thumbs up. Kylo chuckled before falling silent after a stern look from Cantos Ren.

"Hux Ren obtained the knowledge we need for this hunt from the traitor. He passed it to me and I will pass it to you. Reach out, feel the dark side. Let it in. Focus on your rage, allow it to guide you." Cantos spoke. "The force flows around us all in waves, each person has different waves. Feel the waves, learn the waves. Can you feel it? The knowledge I offer?"

Kylo sat very still for a moment and yet this time something strange occurred. BB-8 could not feel the force, no droid can. And yet the droid can feel something outside of the normal confines of its programming. And then Kylo raises his head.

"No. I feel her. I know where we must go."

Several miles outside of the town of Hagomay, the hatch on a crashed TIE fighter opens. FN-2187 climbs out, followed by the soldier. They both slump to the ground for the moment. Then the soldier rises, he offers a hand to FN-2187. FN-2187 takes it and is helped to his feet. And then FN-2187 finds himself slammed against the side of the fighter. The soldiers face was filled with anger.

"What are you playing at?! We almost died! Do you know how lucky we were to land safely? What you almost ruined! You wanted to escape you said, what a load of, I should have known it was sabotage. So who knew I was there huh? Where was the leak?"

"No! It wasn't anything, I really wanted to help but I couldn't...I couldn't fire."

The anger changed to confusion. "Why not? They're just stormtroopers! Against the safety of the galaxy that's-"

Now it was FN-2187's turn to be angry. He pushed and the soldier staggered back. "Just Stormtroopers?! I'm a Stormtrooper!" He shouted. "You all think we chose this but we didn't! We didn't have a choice, we didn't know what lay in the stars before they came! Before the Knight's of Ren bought us on board, before they killed any who disobeyed them, before they forced us to forget our lives before the First Order. Before they made us worship the dark side and kill any who didn't. It felt so wrong but it seemed so right, I remember bits before the First Order and I feel wrong for doing that! How did they make right seem wrong? How did I not see it sooner? How did I not realise until my brother...I want to help you, I want to stop the Knights of Ren and make them pay. But I won't hurt the Stormtroopers. They are my brothers and sisters. They have suffered as much as I have. You have a problem with that then I'm just another stormtrooper in your way."

The soldier stared at him for a long moment. FN-2187 looked away, he'd never spoken out like this before. In the First Order this would have got him killed. But the soldier nods.

"Sometimes...sometimes it's easier to see the other side as less then you, as just...well faceless Stormtroopers. Because what I do, what I have done and will do can be difficult and puts a burden on the conscience. It's easier to say you're all equally complicit, that you chose to stand with the First Order. You say you don't want to kill them? I respect that, I do, I just wish I could say you'll be able to stand by that conviction but there may come a time when... well when it's you or them."

"I don't believe that. I can make them see what I've seen." FN-2187 responded.

"I hope you're right." The soldier replied.

The two stood in silence for a moment, then the soldier extended his hand to FN-2187.

"What's your name?"

"I don't have one. They gave me the code FN-2187 when I was...acquired."

"Everyone has to have a name. Hmm...FN... how about...Finn?"

FN-2187 found himself smiling. A name, his own name? And it felt...right. "Finn? Finn. Yeah Finn. I like that, I like that a lot."

The soldier extended his hand again and Finn took it.

"It's good to meet you Finn, I'm Poe Dameron."

"It's good to meet you too Poe."

And it was. It was the first time Finn had been greeted like a human.


	5. The Force Awakens Chapter 5

The keypad lit up with a green glow and the door slid open. Rey winced at the sound of rusted metal scrapping against rusted metal. But the annoying sound was a small price to pay, she had done it. Though the Star Destroyer she was junk diving within had been mostly picked clean there was one area of the ship that has been left untouched. The Captains quarters. Locked behind a high security grade key-lock, any attempts made by scavengers to get inside had failed. And there had been many attempts.

But she had done it, she wasn't quite sure how she'd beat the lock, it was her instincts again, her luck. It was as if she just knew how to take apart the lock and remove the right wire. Not that Rey cared at the moment. This was it. This was her way off Jakku, even Plutt would have no choice but to accept her price for this haul of salvage. Her heart was beating rapidly with excitement as she stepped inside the captains quarters. Her heart began to beat faster as she saw what was within, treasures and artwork adorned the walls. An antique blaster was hung above the desk, it was a shrine to opulence. She would be rich! And even the worst thing about the room, the view of Jakku from the window, was beautiful in its own way.

The bridge which contained the Captains quarters had been dislodged from the main body of the Star Destroyer when it crashed to Jakku. It sat on the crest of a junk heap the size of a small mountain. And this gave Rey a fresh view of Jakku, from this high she couldn't see the details of the junk below, it almost seemed natural.

"There's beauty in everything." She muttered to herself.

She laughed but it was cut off as she heard something terrible. The floor creaked, it must be unstable. She went to move to a more stable position but it was too late, the floor broke and Rey fell. Out of the Captain's cabin, out of the Destroyer and down the side of the junk heap.

She screamed. This was it! This was the end! She would end up another victim of Jakku, another worthless scavenger who took a desperate risk in search of the pay. She would never leave this place after all, the junk would consume her bones.

And yet as she fell something flared within her. Her instincts, her luck became something more, it became a force that seemed to replace her panic with a peaceful determination. She wasn't going to die, she could feel it, no she knew it. She could do something. She could direct this force and so she did. Rey pushed out against the ground and incredibly she began to slow down. The nearer to the ground she came the slower she was until she stopped a metre or so above the ground.

For a moment she hovered in total disbelief. And then the power faded. She hit the ground with a thump and lay there in pain for a moment. Then she laughed.

"I'm alive! I'm alive!" She screamed. "Wooooo! You won't take me yet Jakku! I'll beat you! I'll get away!"

She didn't know how she had done what she did. Right this moment she didn't care. She was alive and well. That was what mattered.

Finn threw the last of his armour in the junk pile. He still couldn't believe it. He was free. A fantasy that he had thought of with shame in his most private moments had come true. He was free. And he had a name. Finn. It was his and his alone. No one could take it away from him. It was his name.

"You ready to go?" Poe asked him.

Finn nodded. Poe had come prepared, sealed within his pack had been two fresh sets of clothing and as luck would have it they were both the same size. It was good as Finn would have rather gone naked then spend any longer in his Stormtrooper gear, it felt like chains.

"I took a look over the rise, the town is about 10 klicks away. Maybe more."

"The Knight's will be on their way." Finn said. "You heard what Tekka Ren said, they might not know what the chosen one looks like but they know she's in the town. They will find her. The only way we'll beat them is if we get there first. With this heat we won't cover that distance in time."

"First don't call him Tekka Ren. He wasn't a Knight anymore, he was a good man who, if this is as serious as you both say, gave his life to try and save the galaxy. Second we will beat them there because I've got a way for us to get to the town in a few minutes."

"You've found a speeder?" Finn said unable to keep the excitement from his voice. He'd seen the speeder bikes used by other Stormtroopers during his time in the First Order. He'd always wanted to ride one and had requested many times to do so. His requests had always been denied of course.

"Not exactly." Poe said.

Poe gestured and Finn joined him on the rise. Poe pointed to two creatures that were grazing in the junk. They stood on four long thin legs that kept their bodies well above the junk. A small head with a trunk sat at the end of a long neck were being lowered down in the junk where the trunk along with two long arms that extended from the base of the neck shuffled through the junk. One of the creatures let out a happy squeal and lifted the head out of the junk chewing as it did. It then stepped over a rusting metal ship and began to roof through more junk in search of food.

"Those things?" Finn asked.

Poe chuckled. "You wanted that speeder didn't you? No such luck here. On Jakku any tech you find is broken. These are the next best thing, locals call them Junk Crawlers. They lived here before it became a mess and evolved to thrive when it did. Lucky for us they're really fast and really friendly."

Finn found the last thing hard to believe. Something that looked like those creatures could not be friendly. He was about to say so when Poe simply slid down the ridge and strode towards the Junk Crawlers. As Poe approached, the two creatures rose their necks and looked at him. One hooted at Poe and stepped towards him, the head lowering towards Poe. This was it Finn knew, it was going to bite off Poe's head and chew him up. He raised his blaster with a yell.

But instead of biting the creature simply nuzzled against Poe who stroked it gently. It squatted down and Poe leapt onto it's back. The junk crawler stood up and tooted happily to it's companion who moved towards Finn.

"It's fine, come on!" Poe shouted at him.

How could Poe do that? How could he be so brave and knowledgeable like that? Could Finn be like that? Could he be more then a Stormtrooper? This was all happening so fast. He took a deep breath and slid down the rise towards the waiting Junk Crawler. The Junk Crawler squatted down so he could get on the creatures back.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Finn muttered.

"Wooo-hooo! Faster! Faster!"

Poe could only laugh as Finn encouraged his Crawler to run faster than his own. When Finn climbed onto the Crawlers back Poe was expecting him to fall off. Or run away. Or at least that he would have to yell at Finn to go faster then a walk. But now as Finn's crawler overtook Poe's, Poe realised he had nothing like that to worry about. Except finding this chosen one, escaping a planet watched by the First Order and getting back across the galaxy while keeping an eye on two assets.

He recalled what his Sergeant said during training. The words echoed in his mind "You never know what's round the corner. So enjoy it while you can."

With those words in mind Poe spurred his Junk Crawler on to catch up with Finn.

Rey strode through Hagomay. Her elation at surviving her fall had faded on her return to the village. It wasn't that she had lost the score; unlike her the captain's treasures had taken damage in the fall and were now just shards. She could junk dive for a bit longer, her luck hadn't failed her yet and while it would take longer she would make it.

It was the power, after she had used the power she was filled with an intense feeling that she shouldn't have used it. That perhaps death would have been preferable.

A vision flashed before her eyes. Of dark clad beings of various races standing over her chanting. It was cold, it was dark. She was afraid.

"Rey." They chanted. "Rey, Rey, Rey!"

She snapped back to reality. A young girl was tugging at her sleeve. Hemy. An aspiring junk rat of her own, not that kids on Jakku had any other option.

"Some men are looking for you. I heard Plutt say he was gonna have you no matter what you said."

Rey scowled. As if this day could not get any worse. A new instinct flared within her. She needed to leave. She had been discovered. She needed to stay hidden. She didn't know why but it was important that no one found her. She thanked Hemy before running back to her shack. Once inside she quickly grabbed her emergency pack, she shoved her acquired credits within the bag and then took up her staff. It was the one thing she'd scavenged from the nearby Destroyer that she kept. It was a force pike, said to have been the weapon of the elite Imperial Red Guard. Like most things that found their way to Jakku it had been damaged but Rey had repaired it, placing the pike into a staff she had already used. She had only been partially able to repair the power source so it would only stun and she needed to be careful with the stuns. She estimated that she only had two or three uses before it ran out of power. Then it was just a staff, albeit a staff she'd practised with every day for years. Despite the almost overpowering urge to hide away Rey was excited, she could see if her practise had yielded results.

She stepped out of the shack and moved stealthily through the village. She kept to cover and only moved when no one was watching. She knew her target; Plutt had a speeder bike behind his shop. That would get her far enough away to plan her next move. She looked across the village square to Plutt's shop. A land speeder was parked outside it, it had been harnessed to a Reek for the animal to pull like a chariot. She knew what this meant; the Reeks were associates of Plutt's, pirates who stole ships and bought them back to Jakku for scrap. Plutt must be trying to sell her to pay his debts. She saw four men talking to Plutt but somehow she knew a fifth was inside the shop. After all that had happened so far today, she was going to trust those instincts. But the numbers wouldn't matter. She could see a route to the bike, as powerful as the Reek was it would not be able to catch up to a speeder bike. The Reeks insistence of being recognised would fail them this time.

She would have to be slow and careful but she could do this. She turned away from the square and moved around the side of the house, bumping into a young dark skinned man wearing clothes to new to be from Jakku. She apologised and went to step away but the man stared at her. His eyes widened with recognition.

"You're her! Poe! Poe! I found her!" He shouted.

Rey didn't wait to react, she lashed out with her staff and struck him into the stomach. The young man was knocked off his feet. His companion shouted but Rey didn't hear the words, she was already running. No time for subtlety now. Every instinct within her shouted to move. From the shouts that she could hear across the square Plutt and his thugs had heard the commotion The bike was no longer an option. But she had another plan. The pirates would have come in a ship. The ship would have speeders on that she could take. They would expect her to run away from the ship, not towards it. She hoped that would give her an edge.

As she ran a voice seemed to sound in her head, it was a memory that had only come back now. A memory of someone she had forgotten, the old man who had looked after her when she was little. She had always felt strange about the old man, he had looked after for years and yet she could only remember fragments. It was as if she had been made to forget.

But now the old man's voice was back. "You must hide Rey. You cannot let them find you." The voice said. "If they do we are all doomed."


	6. The Force Awakens Chapter 6

The girl soared through the air. Even Poe, who had seen many strange things on many battlefields across the galaxy paused for a moment. This was new. The village sat on two junk mounds with a narrow retractable bridge between them, Poe had shot out the control panel for the bridge and as he'd hoped the bridge had retracted. The distance was too great, the girl would have to stop running and listen to them. Except she didn't, she simply kept going and leapt a gorge that no one should be able to leap.

No one normal that is. That would explain the urgency in all parties, after the downfall of the Empire, being a force user was a valuable commodity. After all they could do what others could not. But what was so special about this girl? Tekka's knowledge had not come alone, the old man had pushed everything that related to the girl from his head and into Poe's. Feelings and memories that were not his own raced through his mind, he found himself fearing for more than just the job. Poe wanted to help her; she was a daughter to him. No! That was Tekka's thought, she was a job. Poe shook his head and refocused. When this was over, he'd have someone sort him out. He only hoped Finn was handling the additions to his head, the poor man had suffered enough.

"Poe!" Finn yelled.

Poe turned back to see what Finn was shouting about. The men who had been chasing the girl were approaching, most on foot but some were on board the chariot pulled by the Reek. A large alien with green greasy skin was on board the chariot screaming about how the girl was his.

Poe weighed up his options, the green alien appeared to be a leader of sorts although he'd need more observations to confirm that guess. If he shot the leader how would the gang react? Could he take them? He counted quickly, he and Finn faced a dozen armed gang members. Poe was a good fighter, no he was more than good but despite that a dozen against one were not odds he wanted to test. And while Poe might survive victorious he doubted Finn would. As he thought that Poe found the thought of loosing Finn really bothered him. Now how could?

A shot fired. Poe saw Finn raise his pistol and fire several shots. But they weren't aimed at any one person. They were aimed at the Reek, more specifically the restraint the creature wore around its neck. The restraint sparked and the Reek roared. Then it flung the chariot of it's back and charged at a gang member. The poor man was dead from the moment of impact. The Reek turned to charge the rest of the gang, all but ignoring Finn and Poe. The blaster fire bounced of it's thick hide.

"Get the bridge working!" Finn shouted.

Poe nodded and ripped away the front of the bridge controls. The bridge was scavenged, like everything on this planet and it was easy for Poe to reset the circuits in a matter of seconds. The bridge extended and the two men sprinted across.

It was deserted on the other side. Poe supposed the villagers were hiding in their homes and waiting for this fight to be over. So they should find anything of value most likely.

"How did you know to do that?" He asked Finn. "Why shoot the creature?"

"Because until you rescued me I was that creature. I just hope they don't hurt it."

Poe looked back over the bridge. He saw the chubby alien fly through the air. "I wouldn't worry about it. Come on, we need to-"

She moved like a blur, one moment it was just Finn and Poe, the next Finn was on the floor and the girl was there, spinning her staff in her hands as she advanced on Poe. Poe dodged the first strike barely before leaping out the way of a second. Before he could recover she attacked again but this time, Poe found it easier, he pulled a baton from his belt and struck back. The girl staggered away and Poe realised something. She was slower, she'd used all her force to try and gain the element of surprise and now that hadn't worked, he had the advantage. One look at her face told Poe that the girl knew that as well. Sweat glistened across her forehead, she was tired. He could win this.

"You proud?" She asked. "I told Plutt no so many times. But now you're going to drag me away anyway. I hope you can sleep at night."

"Who the force is Plutt?" Finn shouted, wincing in pain as he stood up.

"We're not here to drag you away. We're here to rescue you Rey." Poe said.

She tensed. "How do you know my name?"

Poe was stumped. How did he know her name? Then it came to him. Tekka. Those damn memories in his head. He went to speak but she interrupted him.

"Never mind. Plutt told you. He must think I'm stupid. Or stupider then he already thinks. You think I haven't heard all that before. You think I need rescuing? I'm not stupid."

"Tekka sent us!" Finn shouted, the desperation clearly coming through.

Tekka. That name. Something stirred within Rey, memories she didn't even know she had came to the forefront of her mind. Visions flashed before her eyes. Black clad warriors chanting as they channelled a cold power, red armoured guards thrown across a room with the power of her mind and then him. The kindly man. The one whose voice she heard when she had seen the gang come for her. The one who told her to run.

The one who years ago had sent her on way alone. She had begged him to let her stay, she cried and screamed for hours. But it did nothing.

"I cannot stay with you Rey. I fear I would taint you or worse lead you to be found. And you cannot be found. You must be hidden, you must be safe. You-."

She blinked. How could she have forgotten him? He was her father in all but blood. That was not something that anyone should forget. Further memories snapped back. She had pretended to go, only to find him again. And he had made her forget him. What could have made him go to such lengths to send her away? And why now had he changed his mind and sent these two to get her? She had to know, despite the need to run, she had to know.

"Can you prove it?" She asked.

The dark-skinned younger man looked to his companion. The older man frowned for a moment before speaking. "Gordanian soup. It was the first item you scavenged from one of the Destroyers."

That was true, she remembered that even after Tekka wiped her memory. Except that she had remembered it wrong, Tekka had been watching over her first dip into a star ship. How much else did she remember wrong? How many memories were she was alone were with him?

"I know you don't trust us! I wouldn't either, but the First Order is coming for you! We have to get you to safety." The younger man said.

Why did that name seem familiar? Something spoke in her mind, something that was still buried deep within. Rey could not help but feel that was a good thing.

"Who's the First Order?"

The town shook as a jet black spaceship flew over the town. Rey had scavenged enough Imperial ships to recognise that it was an Imperial shuttle, albeit heavily modified.

"They're here! We need to go!" The older man shouted.

The younger man ripped of his shirt and turned around. He gestured to his back. Rey gasped in horror. It looked as if a beast had been set loose upon the young man.

"You see this? This is what the First Order are. This is what they do to anything that they can't control. You don't seem like you'll let yourself be controlled so they'll hurt you until you break."

Rey stared at the wounds. There was more then met the eye, around the wounds was a residue, it was the opposite of the warmth Rey felt inside her when she tapped her gifts. It was wrong, corrupt, twisted.

"That's the First Order?" She asked.

"Yes. Now we're getting moving." The older man snapped. "We can learn to trust each other later."

He was right. Rey did not want any part in something that would hurt a person so. She would trust the two men. Once she was away from this problem, she would deal with what came next and find her own way once more. And then she would handle her memories.

"Ok. I'm with you." She said. "For now."

The sounds of blaster fire told Finn all he needed to know. History was repeating itself. Only this time Finn was facing the First Order. He wasn't afraid to admit he was terrified, if the Knight's found him...no. Poe would get them out of here. He had a plan.

"What's the plan?" Finn asked.

"We'll get that ship." Poe said, pointing to the ship that the gang after Rey had arrived in. "We'll use that to jump out system and get away."

"That ship can barely fly!" Rey shouted. "Those fighters will easily shoot it down." She pointed to the TIE fighters circling the sky above the village.

"We need a hyperspace capable ship. Are there any others here?" Poe asked her.

"No! If there was I'd have used it years ago!"

"The Knight's ship." Both Poe and Rey looked at Finn. "It's hyper-space capable and faster than any fighter. Cantos demanded it be the fastest ship in our fleet. Their fleet."

Rey frowned. "I can't fly an Imperial shuttle. I need a ship that's set up like a speeder."

"Poe can fly it. He can fly anything." Finn said.

"Can you fly it?" Rey asked Poe, who nodded.

"The flying won't be the problem. The problem will be getting to the ship. There must be a company of Stormtroopers here. And however many Knights of Ren have come with."

"The passage!" Rey exclaimed. "This town is built on junk and the setup of the junk made a large void under the town. It's got tunnels and passages going every which way underneath us. And it's really unstable, you need someone who knows the passages to get you through. Follow me and I'll get us there."

Before waiting for a response she set off in a run. Poe looked to Finn for a moment and then gestured for them to follow. It was a good plan Finn thought, he just hoped it would be enough.

For the second time today BB-8 sat on it's masters shoulder as Kylo searched a Jakku town. The droid was not happy about it. BB-8 felt dirty just from being here.

"Do you sense that? The Force has been used here." Kylo asked Cantos.

"Of course I can sense it." Cantos snapped at him. "What kind of Knight would I be if I could not?"

A roar shook the town and then it's source came charging towards them. BB-8 accessed the in-built bestiary. Kylo had thought of everything when he had built BB-8. Sometimes the droid felt like it had more knowledge then it knew what to do with. Until times like this when Kylo needed to know what he was facing. It was a Reek. A very angry Reek.

"Now we shall see what kind of Knight you are. Deal with that." Cantos Ren stepped back behind Kylo as BB-8 put his weapons systems online.

"Wait." Kylo said. BB-8 paused as Kylo extended his arm and tensed, as if he was pushing something that was not there. The droid began to speak but Kylo let out a kind of half grunt to silence him. BB-8 nodded it's head. It would trust Kylo. How could it not?

Incredibly the Reek began to slow. It stopped roaring and howling, it's run slowed to a walk. It approached Kylo and simply stared at him for a moment. Then it bowed its head. Kylo lowered his hand and began to approach the now docile creature. And then it roared once more before falling.

Behind the Reek's now dead body stood a smiling Cantos Ren. One of her lightsabres was ignited and the creatures blood smoked as it burnt on the laser blade.

"You did not need to do that." Kylo told her.

Cantos snorted. "I wanted to. So I did. That is the way of the dark side. It appears you still have much to learn."

Two stormtroopers were guarding the shuttle. As they had crept carefully through the passage Finn and Poe had told her all about how dangerous the First Order are. But now all Rey saw was stupidity.

"They're guarding a ship this fine with two men? It will be stolen in minutes!" She said, handing the imaging binoculars back to Poe. Those were amazing, they allowed her to see through the ship and expose what lay within. If only she'd had a pair when scavenging.

"No one would dare steal from the Knights." Finn snapped. Then he lowered his head in shame. Poe placed a comforting hand on Finn's shoulder for a moment before responding.

"They had years to work on you, you've had a day. It'll take time. And as for the lack of guards you have to know something about the Knights. They're the latest in a long line of those who think they're better than everyone else. That's why stealing this ship from under their noses will feel so good. Here's what we'll do. Finn lookout, I'll take one guard, you take the other."

Finn tensed and Poe then added. "Non-lethally. Don't kill him or hurt him too much."

"I've never killed anyone." Rey said. "I don't want to start now."

Poe nodded at her and then began to creep to the side of the entrance ramp. Rey paused to study Finn for a moment before moving towards her target. Finn seemed to hate the First Order with a passion she'd never seen and yet he refused to harm or allow any First Order troop to come to harm? She would have to speak to him and find out more when there was a moment.

She took her position and nodded at Poe. Poe grabbed the trooper in a lock and began to squeeze the consciousness out of the man's body. Rey was simpler, she activated her force pike and thrust towards the stormtrooper. The trooper was down before he made a sound. She turned to Poe.

"Do you need a hand?"

"With this? Hardly." Poe let go and his trooper fell to the ground. Finn ran out to join them. "Let's go." Poe said. "Finn I want you to listen out for comm traffic, you know the codes so make it look like all's well for as long as you can."

Three more Stormtroopers returned to the ship.

"We have new orders from Cantos." The Stormtrooper stopped and while Rey could not see his eyes under the helmet she knew that he was staring at her. "It's her. It's."

Three blaster shots sounded before the trooper could say any more. Three Stormtroopers were dead in moments.

"Grab him and go!" Poe yelled as he ran into the ship. Rey turned to see Finn frozen in shock, he seemed non-responsive.

"Finn! Come on! We." A cold came over her as a familiar sound echoed in her ears. She found she could not move. Two black clad warriors both armed with red lightsabres strode towards them. One human and one Twi'Lek. The Twi'Lek laughed.

"We have her! And the traitor!"

Rey felt herself lifted from the ground and pulled towards the two, she caught sight of Finn. His eyes shone with pure terror as he frantically tried to swim through the air away from them. No. She was this close. So close to escaping. She would not be stopped. They would not have her. They would not! The cold vanished and the warmth inside flared to life. She pushed down and pinned herself in place before pulling Finn back as well. The two warriors paused. She knew of them, the still locked memories inside her head screamed to be let out. She forced it down. This was not the time. But it was time to push. The two warriors staggered backwards before anchoring themselves in place with their own power. Though Rey noted the Twi'Lek did it easier than the armoured human. But it didn't matter, she could beat them. She was stronger then-.

She was flung off her feet and then yanked into the air. She wasn't stronger. They were just splitting their power on two targets. Now it was all on her. She was no match for them, she wasn't strong enough to get away. She'd failed Tekka, she'd lost him for nothing.

"Strength isn't everything." It was Tekka's voice. It came from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Rey didn't understand, that wasn't a memory. But then she saw what the voice meant. She didn't have to overwhelm them with brute force. And so she reached out to two small crates behind the warriors and pulled them. She dropped to the ground as the crates made impact into their backs. The Twi'Lek screamed in rage but then a small metal sphere rolled between the two warriors. It took a moment for Rey to see what it was. A thermal detonator.

The human leapt towards the Twi'Lek and something formed on his arm. But then both warriors were consumed in an explosion that shattered the ground and sent them plunging into the passage below. Rey turned and Finn had another detonator ready to throw.

The engines of the shuttle came to life and any thoughts of throwing another detonator vanished. Escape was what mattered now. The two ran onto the ship and sealed the ramp behind them as the Harpy, former shuttle of Cantos Ren rose up from the ground and away from the junk planet.

Cantos Ren barely contained her rage. For a moment she considered cutting the whelp down. She had failed the hunt and would have lost her life if it were not for Kylo Ren and his shield. Being indebted to him was sickening. But she was in his debt, sadly she could not harm him until this was paid.

"We have failed. Snoke Ren will be very displeased." She said, as much to herself as to Kylo. She needed to think, to find a way to turn this to her advantage.

Kylo chuckled and fresh rage came over her. "Is something amusing?" She asked him, her hand tightening around her sabre.

"We have not failed. You failed. I did not."

BB-8 wielded shut the vent grate onboard the Harpy. Kylo had been wise to order his droid on board the ship when no-one was looking. Now BB-8 would watch and wait and when the time was right the droid would activate the homing beacon within and deliver Kylo his prize.


	7. The Force Awakens Chapter 7

Asteroids floated in the void. The Harpy was attached to a large asteroid on the edge of the Jakku system. In the cockpit, Poe seemed to be busy doing something. What that something was Rey had no idea, all she knew is that if she concentrated she could make out the faint light that was the First Order Star Destroyer in orbit above Jakku. And that despite the distance and despite being beyond the range of their sensors, when she looked at that light she felt a chill run down her spine.

"Why haven't we left yet?" She asked. "Shouldn't we be in hyperspace right now?"

"It's not that simple." Poe replied. "The First Order has spies everywhere and are spoiling for a fight. If I take this ship back directly to New Alderaan then the First Order will use that as an excuse to invade. Considering how the New Republic have been lately they'll just leave Alderaan to fend for themselves. I won't bring an invasion to my home. So I'm sending a coded message asking for orders, my guess is we'll find an outer rim spaceport to leave this ship while we get on another ship."

"But you don't know?"

Poe turned to her and frowned. "No I don't. That a problem?"

Rey opened her mouth to speak and then stopped. Could she really explain it? The chill from the distant Destroyer? The sense of foreboding that still hung over her? Did she trust Finn and Poe enough to try? "No." She said before changing the subject. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Finn's going through the hold taking stock of supplies. We could be here a while. Give him a hand would you?"

Rey nodded and went to leave.

"Wait."

She turned back to him. "The Knights of Ren want you badly. Is there something you want to tell me as to why? What makes you so important? Why did Tekka do what he did?"

"I don't know."

Poe fixed her with an intense gaze and Rey forced herself to meet his eyes. "I don't know." She repeated. Poe frowned and then shrugged.

"Fine. I hope that's the truth. I had a mission I abandoned for you Rey. I was supposed to find the Jedi, instead I found you." He turned back to the ships controls.

Rey took that as her cue to leave. Poe knew more then he'd let on. She'd heard Finn's account of his and Poe's quest to find her and by that account they'd only spend minutes with Tekka. Yet Poe seemed to know far more then that brief time would allow him to learn. He seemed trustworthy, Rey had positioned several chances for him to betray her and he hadn't yet. But could that be part of his game? Or was Rey being paranoid? On Jakku trust usually meant your loot stolen at best, a knife in the back at worst. She'd thought that getting off Jakku would be the end to her problems, that had been naïve. It just meant new problems.

Snoke Ren laughed. "Well done Kylo, a trick worthy of a true Knight of Ren." The Muun stepped down from his throne and placed his hand on the kneeling Kylo. "We all had our doubts, but if you continue as you are then your future is assured. Now rise brother."

Kylo rose and Snoke led him through the Knight's Court and into the private sanctum. Hux and Cantos followed at a respectful distance. Hux struggled to contain himself, the girl was lost, they were relying on a droid and yet Snoke saw this as a victory and praised the boy? He studied Cantos as they walked, she was furious, Hux could feel the dark side boiling within her. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage.

"Hux. Hux Ren!"

Hux snapped back to reality. He had too busy thinking to listen to more of Kylo's undeserved praise. Now Snoke was gesturing at him. Hux bowed his head "My apologies Snoke Ren. I was distracted."

A brief snicker of amusement came from Kylo, were it not for Snoke's presence Hux would have struck the boy down there and then. Snoke fixed Hux with a deep stare. "The ritual. It is almost time. Kylo will lead Cantos in the hunt for the girl while you make the chamber ready. When we have her, we have the key to the ritual. The key for the galaxy."

Hux nodded in response, he studied Cantos again. Hux was skilled at using the Dark Side to divine emotions in others but in this case that skill was not needed. Cantos was visibly controlling her rage. Yes, Hux could use her. Once the ritual was done, things would change.

Snoke Ren watched as Hux Ren and Cantos Ren left the chamber. He could sense the anger within those Knights. Of the thirteen who had forged the First Order those two had always been the most resistant to his leadership. He would keep an eye on them and if need be they would have to be reminded; in unity was their strength. Darth Sidious and Darth Vader had fallen because they did not work together. Snoke would not allow the same mistakes to cause the demise of his empire. He turned to Kylo.

"Take some rest my boy. You need to conserve your strength."

Kylo nodded but did not leave. He wanted to say something.

"Speak your mind Kylo. We are brothers in arms, we keep no secrets from each other."

"The girl. Before...at the Temple you said I was the key. That's why you came to me. But now you say she is the key? Then what am I?"

Ah. Snoke cursed inwardly. Kylo craved recognition and in giving just a piece of it Snoke had gained his loyalty. But Kylo needed more, he needed to feel the most important. Snoke smiled. "There are many keys my boy. You are one, she is another. Now go and rest."

After a moment Kylo nodded and he took his leave. But as he passed the dark cube within the chamber he paused. He studied the cube for a moment before resuming his exit. Snoke frowned. The presence within had weakened, now only three Knights; Vicrul, Kuruk and Cardo were needed to contain it. And yet it still tried to reach the boy. Snoke approached the cube.

"You waste your time. The boy belongs to me."

Snoke had hoped to sense despair but instead the response he received was...hope? Hope?! Snoke poured his power into the cube, not to aid his three Knights in containment but instead only to cause pain to the Jedi within.

"You hope? Hope is anathema to the dark side! You hoped while I acted! The scion of my master now serves me! And he will continue to serve me! As will you!"

Snoke stepped away from the cube breathing heavily in excursion. And then in response a thought came through the cube. The mental voice was pained but it was still strong.

"Who are you trying to convince? Me or you?"

Typical Jedi tricks. They did not have the strength in mind or body so they used words. Snoke laughed as he left the chamber. The time of the Jedi was over as was the time of the Sith. It was the time of the Knights of Ren. And yet why did he feel some doubt? Why was he nervous? No. Those feelings were for lesser beings. Snoke was the Grand Marshall of the First Order. He set those feelings deep down where they belonged and set out to his next business.

Finn looked up from the supplies he was cataloguing as Rey entered the ships hold. He could tell from the look on her face that she wanted to ask him something.

"What do you want to know?" He asked her.

Rey blinked in surprise. "How did you know that?" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"When you can be shot just because your CO is in a bad mood you learn quickly to read people's faces. You don't have to be on your guard around us Rey, Poe helped me, he'll help you as well."

"I've heard that one before." She said, although she did relax slightly and sat down next to Finn. She gestured to an unopened crate of supplies and Finn nodded. He passed her the list he had been building.

"Those people who attacked me as we got onto the ship. The Knights of Ren. What do you know about them? How do they do what they did?" Rey asked before adding. "What I did."

It took Finn a moment to respond. He'd been asked a question. Previously it had just been orders, was this the first time anyone had asked his opinion because they wanted to hear what he had to say? He savoured the moment before doing his best to answer.

"I don't know if it was the same. What you and the Knights did. With the Knights it was what we'd been taught. That power comes from the cold. Embrace fear and turn it to anger to burn the fire of the dark side. Whenever a Knight of Ren would use the dark side you would feel a chill down your back that went through to the core of your being. That's what I felt when they had me in their grasp again. But when you reached out it was different, it was...safe."

Rey's expression changed, she looked at him with confusion.

"When your power touched me all the cold fear went away. Despite the danger I knew everything would be alright. It was...it was like a warmth that came from within and inspired me to act. I'd never have thrown a detonator at a Knight of Ren if it wasn't for you. I don't know how you do what you do or how the Knights do what they did. I wasn't worthy of knowing that, I just know you're nothing like them."

"Then you know more about me then me." Rey slumped down and for the first time since meeting Finn and Poe her guard had dropped. "I thought I was just another scavenger with dreams of leaving Jakku. Then over the course of a day I find that I have a power I don't understand, that there's memories in my head that weren't there for years, that I had a father who left me because of those who want me. Not that I know why these Knights of Ren want me. I don't know who I am Finn."

It was funny, Rey had seemed so tough when Finn had met her. He thought she was like Poe, awesome and inspiring and above the troubles of lesser people like Finn. But on hearing that maybe she was more like him after all. Or maybe he was more like them. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yesterday I didn't have a name. I didn't have anything beyond my number and a short life as blaster fodder in the First Order. I was never allowed to think of anything beyond that. I don't know who I am either. But we can find the answers we're looking for together."

Rey looked at him and in a new light this time as something different, as something more than a foe in waiting. And after a moment she nodded. "It would...it would be nice to have a friend. I've never had one before."

Finn smiled. "Neither have I."

The ship shook. Both Rey and Finn fell to the ground as the power went out.

"What was that?" Rey shouted.

The door to the hanger slid open and Poe ran in, his blaster in his hand. "Lucky that door wasn't magnetically sealed. We're under attack."

"First Order?" Finn asked unable to keep the panic out of his voice.

"No. Ship's ID has no affiliation. I think they're pirates. But I've never seen anyone fly that good before. They'd shot out the power before I could even react!"

The ship shook again.

"What do we do?" Rey asked. Reaching for her staff as she did.

"What you're thinking." Poe said as he scrambled though the hanger. "They're boarding us now. We need to...Ah-ha!" Poe lifted a piece of metal exposing extra space large enough for the three of them. "I've set the escape pod to go off in five minutes. They'll think we've ran and that will put them at ease. Then when their guard is down we get aboard the pirates ship and get back to New Alderaan that way."

Poe leapt into the small hold space and Rey and Finn followed, pulling the cover back over as they slid into the space.

"Stay quiet. Wait for my mark." Poe whispered.

Time seemed to slow as they waited. Finn found himself recalling the time before the landing on Jakku. That journey down to the planet seemed to last an age too. The ship shook again.

"There's the pod. Be ready."

Steps echoed in the hanger. There were two persons exploring the ship and from the sounds they were making Finn guessed that one of them was much larger than the other. They were almost on top of them when they stopped.

"He can smell you in there. And I've used that trick more times then I can count. Come on out I got questions for you." A gruff voice said. A low growl seemed to accompany that statement.

Before they could react the cover was torn off and thrown aside with an ease Finn would have thought was impossible. But if that shock was bad Finn was not ready for what he saw next. For waiting on the other side of the cover with blasters pointed at them were Han Solo and Chewbacca. Legends of the Rebellion, demons of the First Order. And they were here! Finn felt his legs begin to shake.

"I got one question for you First Order bastards. Where is my son?" Solo shouted.

Poe pushed Rey and Finn behind him before saluting. "General Solo! Captain Poe Dameron. New Alderaan militia, covert operations 5th battalion."

The Wookie let out a low growl in response and Solo chuckled. "Nice try. If you are who you say you are you'll know the passcode for just this occasion."

"Garn Igliss." Poe said.

Solo and Chewbacca exchanged a look. "Did they change it again?" Solo asked his companion who gave a shrug in return. Solo sighed. "I could have my pick of anyone in the galaxy to travel with, why do I stick with you?"

A series of low growls and barks that made up the Wookie language came in response. Finn had no idea how anyone could understand that but clearly Solo did.

"Plenty of people would love to fly with me!" He shouted before looking back at the three who he held a blaster point. "We'll talk about it later. Fine, you can come out and we can talk. But if you're lying Chewie will pull your arms off."

The Wookie growled and cracked his knuckles to empathize Solo's point.

"That won't be necessary sir." Poe said as he climbed out the hold. "We're telling the truth and we need your help. You might be the galaxies only hope."

"Not that again." Solo groaned.

Within his chambers aboard the Star Destroyer Dominion Kylo Ren let the dark side surround him as he prayed to his icon. The burnt mask of Darth Vader sat on an alter that Kylo knelt in front of.

"I was victorious today. But through guile, not through strength. I need strength to succeed further. I need to be as I was in the vision you showed me. I need to be like you. And I cannot do that alone. As Kenobi appeared to Skywalker I need you to appear to me. Please Grandfather show me the power of the dark side."


End file.
